Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 68 | 38 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 76% | 71 | 351 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 61% | 61 | 32 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Mar 6, 2026) · 29 reviews sampled · 32 total reviews in window · weighted 13.6 up / 8.7 down · computed 4h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (19)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 60
“RPGamers that enjoy loot systems and roguelites in general will certainly find something to appreciate here, but the game is unlikely to sway those who don’t already enjoy the genre.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Dragon Is Dead establishes itself as a 2D action roguelite with tremendous potential and undeniable charm, especially for those who appreciate fast-paced gameplay and a deep progression system. TeamSuneat wears its influences proudly, skillfully blending mechanics and atmospheres reminiscent of genre-defining classics to create an experience that’s both highly enjoyable and addictive. While the linearity of the level design may be a notable weakness, the sheer variety of build combinations and the fluidity of combat more than make up for it, ensuring that every run is a genuine pleasure. Get ready to lose track of time, this is a true gem with serious addictive qualities.”
read full review ↗ - 67
“Offers up a fair amount of side-scrolling hack-and-slash challenges, but compared to its contemporaries lacks a clear addictive pull to keep you coming back for more”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Dragon is Dead doesn’t exactly revolutionise the side-scrolling platformer, but between the vast skill trees, plethora of items and their effects, and different player classes, every run feels unique. Even different styles of the same character can feel like playing a completely different game, and the roguelite structure ensures players can pour countless hours into honing a playstyle they really like, or throw caution to the wind and let the RNG give them whatever it wants. A few visual bugs mar an otherwise beautiful game, and the core level design could stand to be less formulaic, but players will likely be too addicted to the gameplay loop to notice.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Dragon is Dead surprised me. It took the mechanics of Diablo and masterfully applied them to the action roguelike formula. The beautiful pixel art, excellent enemy designs, and the fun, frenetic combat make playing Dragon is Dead a blast. And the loot and buildcrafting kept me hooked, consistently drawing me in for one more run. I’m concerned about what the launch state might be, especially since bugs should have been ironed out during the Early Access period. I wouldn’t blame anyone for wanting to wait a bit to give PM Studios time to smooth things out. However, I’ve seen how they’ve responded to feedback during that time, and I trust that they will refine Dragon is Dead into a polished experience that I will continue to come back to for a long time.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“This action-packed, 2D, hack-and-slash game featuring permanent death is aimed at hardcore gamers and roguelike enthusiasts who won't be put off by failure. Although the game itself is relatively short, it takes a lot of tries to reach the finale.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Dragon is Dead combines the enjoyment of collecting loot and creating your perfect build in a side scrolling action roguelike fashion. It has its flaws with a lot of aspects, but is undeniably fun with the seemingly limitless builds that you can make.”
read full review ↗ - 82
“The ruthless, difficult roguelite Dragon Is Dead unashamedly displays its influences. For players who like to master difficult mechanics, the game offers comprehensive character customization, tight, gratifying combat, and a rewarding gaming loop. Although it struggles with level diversity, narrative depth, and sometimes annoying difficulty spikes, it's a promising and heartfelt game.”
read full review ↗ - 69
“Dragon is Dead delivers a rewarding blend of fast-paced combat, meaningful RPG progression, and a haunting pixel-art world, even if repetitive level design occasionally holds it back.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Dragon Is Dead is a thoroughly intriguing blend of platforming, action and roguelite gameplay. However, whilst seasoned roguelite players will enjoy it immensely, I must emphasise that newcomers are likely to find it quite a struggle.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Overall, I really enjoyed the 15 hours it took to finish Dragon Is Dead. With more chapters, characters, equipment, and difficulties promised with V1.0 and beyond, I’m looking forward to continuing my adventure.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Dragon is Dead has quite a bit of potential now that it has left its early access period. Its novel approach to character building, loot management, and skill trees makes for a complex and satisfying roguelike experience. On the other hand, some of its endgame combat may prove too frustrating, especially when compounded by the traditional difficulty curve that comes with the roguelike gameplay loop. Its pixel art is gorgeous, though!”
read full review ↗
RPGamer
STWGames Italia
Nindie Spotlight
Cubed3
Minimap
SECTOR.sk
Game8
NoobFeed
TwoHitGames
EntreMandos
DualShockers
Digital Chumps…and 7 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Dragon is Dead v1.21 UpdateMar 6, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Dragon is Dead v1.2 UpdateFeb 2, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Dragon is Dead v1.105 UpdateJan 5, 2026
- Dragon is Dead v1.1 UpdateDec 16, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Preview of new content updateDec 12, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Dragon is Dead v1.0783 UpdateAug 30, 2025
- Dragon is Dead v1.0773 UpdateAug 5, 2025
- Dragon is Dead v1.0772 UpdateJul 29, 2025
- Dragon is Dead v1.0771 UpdateJul 25, 2025
- Dragon is Dead v1.0766 UpdateJul 17, 2025
- Dragon is Dead v1.075 UpdateJul 10, 2025
- Dragon is Dead v1.0742 UpdateJul 8, 2025
- Dragon is Dead v1.073 UpdateJul 4, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Dragon is Dead v1.067 UpdateJul 1, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Dragon is Dead v1.0662 UpdateJun 27, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Dragon is Dead v1.0652 UpdateJun 24, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Dragon is Dead v1.064 updateJun 20, 2025
- Dragon is Dead v1.0631 UpdateJun 19, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Dragon is Dead v1.062 UpdateJun 18, 2025
- Dragon is Dead v1.06 UpdateJun 17, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Dragon is Dead v1.051 UpdateJun 13, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Dragon is Dead v1.042 UpdateJun 11, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- 1.0 Official ReleaseJun 6, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Launch, Multilingual Support, New Content, And More!Jun 3, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- 1.0 Release Date!May 12, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- V.8205Mar 20, 2025
- Patch V.8202Mar 19, 2025
- Patch V0.818Mar 12, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- v0.813 Quick Patch!Mar 6, 2025
- New Equipment and Bug Fixes! Update V.809Mar 4, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Updated 0.7311 - Aerial Skills and Balance Update!Nov 1, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- New Skills and Legendary Items - v0.7234 Update!Oct 4, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- New Legendaries! v0.71 Update!Aug 28, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Hotfix to version 0.702Aug 14, 2024
- V0.7 - Revamped Legendary Crafting System and New Legendary GearAug 13, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Update to v0.69995Aug 5, 2024
- Update to version 0.69993Aug 2, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Update to version 0.699874Jul 24, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Hotfix v0.69976 now liveJul 8, 2024
- Update to version 0.69975Jul 4, 2024significant · resets scoring window
…and 11 earlier patch announcements.